Ozark, Arkansas
Encyclopedia
Ozark is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas
, United States
, and (along with Charleston
) one of the two county seat
s of Franklin County. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas
-Oklahoma
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The population was 3,525 at the 2000 census, making Ozark the ninth largest municipality in the metro area. Ozark is the point at which the Arkansas River is farthest north in the state. The name "Aux Arc", later simplified to Ozark, was given to this bend of the river by the French explorers when they were mapping out this land.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,525 people, 1,453 households, and 940 families residing in the city. The population density
was 491.6 people per square mile (189.8/km²). There were 1,607 housing units at an average density of 224.1 per square mile (86.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.48% White
, 0.14% Black
or African American
, 0.68% Native American
, 0.14% Asian
, 0.23% Pacific Islander
, 1.08% from other races
, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 1,453 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,057, and the median income for a family was $31,537. Males had a median income of $25,409 versus $17,353 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $12,583. About 17.9% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.
(1939–1988) was a guitar
innovator whose skill inspired an aptly titled documentary
, The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World. For more than thirty years, the guitarist melded blues, country, jazz, and rock music into a unique sound. Roy Buchanan was born September 23, 1939, in Ozark, the third of four children of Bill Buchanan and the former Minnie Bell Reed.Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture entry on Roy Buchanan.
Bill Dees
, original songwriter of Roy Orbison
's "Oh! Pretty Woman"
Stephanie Childers Dill, born and reared in Ozark, an Arkansas firefighter
, is the first person from Arkansas
to have appeared on the CBS
television series Survivor
. http://survivorfoxes.com/StephanieDill/Gallery/ Survivor: Thailand
Marshall Chrisman (born 1933) is a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
from Ozark who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican
gubernatorial primary
in 1980 and 1982.
Elizabeth Gracen
was Miss Arkansas, Miss America 1982, an American actress, and on the cover of Playboy Magazine.
William A. "Bill" Hudspeth, Jr. (October 13, 1928—October 24, 2008) was a former mayor
and water commissioner of Ozark. A Harrison
native, Hudspeth was a retired banker, insurance
agent, and cattle
man. He was a member of the Ozark First United Methodist Church. Interment was in Highland Cemetery in Ozark. Survivors included a daughter, Jan Hudspeth of Ozark; a son, W.A. Hudspeth, III, of Berryville
, and three grandchildren.
Rebecca Johnson, a millionaire physician
was found murdered. Her story was the subject of an A&E
documentary
(City Confidential) about Ozark.http://www.aetv.com/city_confidential/city_episode_guide.jsp?episode=135534http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/tv_programme/397/Crime_Central_Deadly_Medicine.htm
Jon M. Kuykendall received the 2008 Emmy Award
for Cultural Documentary for his work as Audio Producer on the University of Arkansas
' film "Silas Hunt: A Documentary". The film details the life of a civil rights pioneer who became the first African American enrolled into a major land grant University in the South.
Theodore H. Laban
, a highly decorated U.S. Army Air Forces soldier.
The Leding Family, co-stars of the Fox
reality TV show The Simple Life
. Paris Hilton
and Nicole Richie
starred in the film and stayed with the family for over a month. The family has lived in Franklin County near Ozark and Altus.
Clifton Clay Long, Jr. (1919–2008), was a family physician
in Ozark from 1946–1975, who helped to establish Turner Memorial Hospital. A native of Warrensburg, Missouri
, he received his M.D.
degree from the University of Arkansas
at Fayetteville
. During World War II
, he served in the United States Navy
Medical Corps. He was active in the American Medical Association
and the American College of Surgeons, founded the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, and was a former vice-president of the Arkansas Medical Society. He spent his later years in Fort Smith
, where he died of ALS
.
John Outlaw, a native of Ozark, is a successful football coach at Lufkin
, the seat of Angelina County
. His record is 221-72-5.
Joe Purdy
- Independent recording artist. Folk/Indie. Currently has ten albums with another coming.
In a 1950 Warner Brothers cartoon entitled "Hillbilly Hare", Bugs Bunny
vacations in Ozark, Arkansas and encounters two dimwitted hillbillies named Curt and Pumpkinhead Martin.
In the first season of the reality TV series The Simple Life, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie worked at the Sonic Drive-In located in Ozark.
On April 17, 2007, late show host Craig Ferguson
mentioned Ozark during his guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. While telling Dave a story about travelling the country, Craig said he had stopped in "Ozark, which is a town in Arkansas," and discovered catfish
. It was the first time Craig had eaten catfish. He described it as being "a tasty fish."
On June 14, 2007, late show host Craig Ferguson
displayed a letter from Mayor Vernon McDaniels, making Ferguson an honorary citizen of Ozark. After becoming an honorary citizen, Ferguson set out to become an honorary citizen of as many U.S. cities as possible and later became an official U.S. citizen all thanks to Ozark starting the trend.
Again, on June 25, 2009, Craig Ferguson
mentioned Ozark, AR during his opening monologue. He told his audience that Ozark was the place to stop for good catfish and described it as a "lovely town."
In 2010 financed a bond to build a $415,000 turf field for their high school football team.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and (along with Charleston
Charleston, Arkansas
Charleston is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States, and one of the two county seats of Franklin County. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area...
) one of the two county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
s of Franklin County. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
-Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Fort Smith metropolitan area
The Fort Smith Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is a five-county area including three Arkansas counties and two Oklahoma counties, and anchored by the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas...
. The population was 3,525 at the 2000 census, making Ozark the ninth largest municipality in the metro area. Ozark is the point at which the Arkansas River is farthest north in the state. The name "Aux Arc", later simplified to Ozark, was given to this bend of the river by the French explorers when they were mapping out this land.
Geography
Ozark is located at 35°29′34"N 93°50′14"W (35.492713, -93.837096).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²), of which, 7.2 square miles (18.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,525 people, 1,453 households, and 940 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 491.6 people per square mile (189.8/km²). There were 1,607 housing units at an average density of 224.1 per square mile (86.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.48% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.14% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.68% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.14% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.23% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.08% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.25% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 1,453 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,057, and the median income for a family was $31,537. Males had a median income of $25,409 versus $17,353 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $12,583. About 17.9% of families and 21.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.
Notable citizens
Roy BuchananRoy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan was an American guitarist and blues musician. A pioneer of the Telecaster sound, Buchanan was a sideman and solo artist, with two gold albums early in his career, and two later solo albums that made it on to the Billboard chart. Despite never having achieved stardom, he is still...
(1939–1988) was a guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
innovator whose skill inspired an aptly titled documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, The Best Unknown Guitarist in the World. For more than thirty years, the guitarist melded blues, country, jazz, and rock music into a unique sound. Roy Buchanan was born September 23, 1939, in Ozark, the third of four children of Bill Buchanan and the former Minnie Bell Reed.Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture entry on Roy Buchanan.
Bill Dees
Bill Dees
William "Bill" Dees is an American musician most famous for his song writing collaborations with singer Roy Orbison.-Career:...
, original songwriter of Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
's "Oh! Pretty Woman"
Stephanie Childers Dill, born and reared in Ozark, an Arkansas firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, is the first person from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
to have appeared on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Survivor
Survivor: Thailand
Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in the summer of 2002 and aired from September 19 – December 19, 2002 on CBS. It was set on the island of Ko Tarutao in Thailand. Fourteen episodes aired weekly. The two initial tribes were Chuay...
. http://survivorfoxes.com/StephanieDill/Gallery/ Survivor: Thailand
Survivor: Thailand
Survivor: Thailand is the fifth season of the United States reality show Survivor. It was filmed in the summer of 2002 and aired from September 19 – December 19, 2002 on CBS. It was set on the island of Ko Tarutao in Thailand. Fourteen episodes aired weekly. The two initial tribes were Chuay...
Marshall Chrisman (born 1933) is a former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the state. Each district has an average population of 26,734...
from Ozark who ran unsuccessfully in the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
gubernatorial primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
in 1980 and 1982.
Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Gracen
Elizabeth Ward Gracen is an American actress who won the title of Miss America in 1982. She was born Elizabeth Grace Ward but should not be confused with another Elizabeth Ward who worked as a television actress during the first half of the 1980s....
was Miss Arkansas, Miss America 1982, an American actress, and on the cover of Playboy Magazine.
William A. "Bill" Hudspeth, Jr. (October 13, 1928—October 24, 2008) was a former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and water commissioner of Ozark. A Harrison
Harrison, Arkansas
Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
native, Hudspeth was a retired banker, insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
agent, and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
man. He was a member of the Ozark First United Methodist Church. Interment was in Highland Cemetery in Ozark. Survivors included a daughter, Jan Hudspeth of Ozark; a son, W.A. Hudspeth, III, of Berryville
Berryville, Arkansas
Berryville is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,433 at the 2000 census. Along with Eureka Springs, it is one of the two county seats of Carroll County...
, and three grandchildren.
Rebecca Johnson, a millionaire physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
was found murdered. Her story was the subject of an A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
(City Confidential) about Ozark.http://www.aetv.com/city_confidential/city_episode_guide.jsp?episode=135534http://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/tv_programme/397/Crime_Central_Deadly_Medicine.htm
Jon M. Kuykendall received the 2008 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Cultural Documentary for his work as Audio Producer on the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
' film "Silas Hunt: A Documentary". The film details the life of a civil rights pioneer who became the first African American enrolled into a major land grant University in the South.
Theodore H. Laban
Theodore H. Laban
Theodore H. Laban served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during the Doolittle Raid. Laban was born on July 13, 1914 in Kenosha, Wisconsin and graduated from Kenosha High School. He joined the military in 1935...
, a highly decorated U.S. Army Air Forces soldier.
The Leding Family, co-stars of the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
reality TV show The Simple Life
The Simple Life
The Simple Life was a reality television series that was broadcast from December 2, 2003 to August 5, 2007. The first three seasons aired on Fox, and the final two on E!...
. Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
and Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...
starred in the film and stayed with the family for over a month. The family has lived in Franklin County near Ozark and Altus.
Clifton Clay Long, Jr. (1919–2008), was a family physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in Ozark from 1946–1975, who helped to establish Turner Memorial Hospital. A native of Warrensburg, Missouri
Warrensburg, Missouri
Warrensburg is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,340 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County. The Warrensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson County. It is home to the University of Central Missouri.-History:Warrensburg...
, he received his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
degree from the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
at Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Medical Corps. He was active in the American Medical Association
American Medical Association
The American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
and the American College of Surgeons, founded the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, and was a former vice-president of the Arkansas Medical Society. He spent his later years in Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, where he died of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
.
John Outlaw, a native of Ozark, is a successful football coach at Lufkin
Lufkin, Texas
Lufkin is a city in Angelina County, Texas, United States. Founded in 1882, the population was 35,067 in 2010. It is the county seat of Angelina County, and is situated in Deep East Texas.-History:...
, the seat of Angelina County
Angelina County, Texas
Angelina County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. Angelina County was formed in 1846 from Nacogdoches County. As of 2000, the population was 80,130. Its county seat is Lufkin. Angelina is named for a Hainai Native American woman who assisted early Spanish missionaries and was named...
. His record is 221-72-5.
Joe Purdy
Joe Purdy
Joe Purdy is an American folk singer-songwriter who has recorded and released ten albums in eight years.- The band :Joe Purdy's band members have included: Chris Seefried, Brian Wright, Willy C. Golden, , and .- Career :...
- Independent recording artist. Folk/Indie. Currently has ten albums with another coming.
National recognition
Ozark Arkansas was the first to be incorporated with that name.In a 1950 Warner Brothers cartoon entitled "Hillbilly Hare", Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
vacations in Ozark, Arkansas and encounters two dimwitted hillbillies named Curt and Pumpkinhead Martin.
In the first season of the reality TV series The Simple Life, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie worked at the Sonic Drive-In located in Ozark.
On April 17, 2007, late show host Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
mentioned Ozark during his guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. While telling Dave a story about travelling the country, Craig said he had stopped in "Ozark, which is a town in Arkansas," and discovered catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
. It was the first time Craig had eaten catfish. He described it as being "a tasty fish."
On June 14, 2007, late show host Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
displayed a letter from Mayor Vernon McDaniels, making Ferguson an honorary citizen of Ozark. After becoming an honorary citizen, Ferguson set out to become an honorary citizen of as many U.S. cities as possible and later became an official U.S. citizen all thanks to Ozark starting the trend.
Again, on June 25, 2009, Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
mentioned Ozark, AR during his opening monologue. He told his audience that Ozark was the place to stop for good catfish and described it as a "lovely town."
In 2010 financed a bond to build a $415,000 turf field for their high school football team.